Disney is launching an animated TV spin-off of The Lion King

(Image credit: Facebook.com/Disney The Lion King)

last updated 8 January 2015

Frozen be damned. Just after being topped by Disney's wintry mega-hit for top-grossing animated film of all time, the Lion King crew is making a comeback — this time coming to TV screens near you.

Disney announced a new addition to the Lion King franchise, The Lion Guard, which will begin with a TV movie in the fall of 2015. After that, The Lion Guard will become a television series, premiering in early 2016 on both Disney Channel and Disney Junior.

While Pride Rock's old favorites (think Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki, and Zazu) will all make appearances in the animated spinoff, The Lion Guard's main plot will follow Kion, Simba and Nala's second-born son, as he leads a group called the Lion Guard in protecting the Pride Lands. There will also be some new additions to the usual feline-centric crowd, such as a honey badger, a hippo, and an egret — a deliberate move, as Disney said The Lion Guard will address conservation as an overall theme of the show.